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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28925040">The White Wolf vs. War Machine</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Introvertatheart/pseuds/Introvertatheart'>Introvertatheart</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The White Wolf's New Life [12]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Marvel Cinematic Universe</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Bucky Barnes Feels, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, M/M, Protective Natasha Romanov, Protective Steve</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 13:14:25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,751</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28925040</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Introvertatheart/pseuds/Introvertatheart</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Bucky was great at making a relationship with the Avengers whether he's polite about it or not. Steve hoped that Bucky's aggression towards anyone wouldn't affect that a former relationship but someone always has to test him.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The White Wolf's New Life [12]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1952947</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>26</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The White Wolf vs. War Machine</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Bucky had a considerable relationship with just about everyone in the Avengers. Very few people he had a love-hate relationship with. The only people that Steve could think that Bucky had aggression towards was Maria and Fury. And possibly Sharon but he wasn't sure about that yet.</p><p>Steve worked hard over the past few days to try to work on his social skills. So far he's gotten Bucky to ask politely for him to come with him somewhere and ask nicely to open things. While it was more of mind your manners thing, it needed to be taught because Bucky liked to pull on people and not everyone could stand up to his strength, especially little kids. </p><p>But so far, he was getting the concept.</p><p>Today was intentionally supposed to be a learning day but Bruce had asked that Steve bring Bucky in for a check up. Nothing major, just to see if everything was doing what it was supposed to do. And to hopefully make sure his medicine didn't need another adjustment.</p><p>"Bucky, are you ready to go?" Steve asked. Bucky was more interested in his buttons and fidget pad than anything else today. He was definitely in a sensory seeking mood. "Bucky, eyes on me." Steve said. Bucky looked at him. "Can you go get your shoes so we can go?" Bucky put his buttons on the couch then went to put on his shoes. Steve picked up his buttons, fidget pad and tablet. Bucky put on his shoes then they went in the truck and left.</p><p>Once they arrived to the facility, Steve wasn't expecting Thor, Loki, Scott and Peter to be here. Bucky could play with them later. Bruce brought them down to his lab.</p><p>Bucky hated the ear thing and the weird cold thing that went on his chest, no one ever wanted to warm that thing up. Bruce got him on a scale then frowned. "He's lost weight."</p><p>"Has he?"</p><p>"I think he was around 200 a few months ago, now he's at 185. I know you guys work out but I'm just concerned if he's working out more than his calorie intake."</p><p>"He eats more than me and we do about the same thing working out. Could it be his metabolism burning through muscle?"</p><p>"Or it's burning what little fat reserves he has."</p><p>"So he should eat more?"</p><p>"No, I think if he stays within the 180-200 range, he'll be okay. I just got concerned that he has suddenly dropped almost twenty pounds. Most people would be happy about that."</p><p>"Yeah, I've seen that."</p><p>"And he's not having any trouble with his medications? Such as waking up after taking it?"</p><p>"Now that you've mentioned it, he did wake up in the middle of the night once for a few minutes. It wasn't from a nightmare, he just suddenly woke up."</p><p>"Would you rather he sleep through the night?"</p><p>"Yeah, but I want him to work on trying to get himself back to sleep if he does just suddenly wake up."</p><p>"Well, if it gets to the point where he can't go back to sleep, there is always melatonin unless you think he needs something stronger. But other than that he looks perfectly healthy. Any concerns?"</p><p>"Yeah. He's been doing a weird humming and grunting noise sometimes, I don't know what it is." As if on cue, Bucky began humming. It wasn't like humming to a song, it was a deep hum then turned into a curious hum. "I don't know how long he's been doing that."</p><p>"It sounds like a stim. A vocal stim. I actually took it upon myself to do research on stimming when we were figuring out his hand flapping. So the hand flapping is a visual stim and the humming is a verbal and/or an auditory stim."</p><p>"I knew about the hand flapping but not the humming. Why is he developing new stims?"</p><p>"That much I don't know. He could have simply hummed to himself one day and found that it was giving him some sort sensory input. You know some children have loud stims like yelling or clapping. So I say he has some of the milder stims."</p><p>"Yeah, I think we still need a talk with his therapist just to rule out anything."</p><p>"Perfectly understandable." Bruce smiled.</p><p>"Hungry." Bucky whined.</p><p>"There's leftover pulled pork in the refrigerator." Bruce said.</p><p>"Want, please?"</p><p>"We can stay for a while." They went back up to the main floor. Steve warmed him a bowl of pulled pork. Peter and Scott was also eating at the table. </p><p>"Hey, kid." Scott smiled. Bucky looked at him then at his hands. "My hands are staying right here, promise." Bucky ate his pork. While he ate, the elevator opened to Rhodey holding two dozen doughnuts. </p><p>"You better have a good reason for me to go get these, Stark."</p><p>"We always get doughnuts when missions are successful. The twins and Sam deserve it." Tony said, opening the box. Bucky's head popped up, he smelled something sweet. Very sweet.</p><p>"Oh no, the bloodhound is out." Tony smiled. Bucky got up and sniffed, he found the doughnuts. He was about to pick one up but Rhodey stopped him.</p><p>"Not for you." Rhodey frowned at him. Bucky whined then backed away from him.</p><p>"Rhodes." Nat warned.</p><p>"He doesn't deserve one."</p><p>"He deserves to get whatever he wants. Get what you want, sweetheart." Nat said. Bucky pointed to the strawberry with sprinkles. Nat got the doughnut then put it at the table, she broke it up into pieces because Bucky would eat the doughnut in two bites then choke. "Eat slowly." Bucky sat down and ate his doughnut.</p><p>"What is your problem with him?" Steve asked.</p><p>"You know exactly what my problem is with him. Everyone think he is some sweet angel, but nobody can see that he is a cold blooded killer." </p><p>"Do not call my boy a killer."</p><p>"That's exactly what he is." Steve frowned at him.</p><p>"Here is a doughnut for you and a doughnut for you." Tony said, trying to diffuse the situation. Steve took the offered doughnut and sat with Bucky. Bucky had only eaten a few pieces and yet the strawberry frosting was all over his mouth.</p><p>"You're being a mess."</p><p>"More, please?"</p><p>"You haven't even finished this one."</p><p>"Question is, who is going to deal with his sugar rush?" Sam smiled.</p><p>"Someone is going to have to wrestle him." Steve said.</p><p>"No, he plays dirty. Someone better go outside with him and burn that energy."</p><p>"Fair enough."</p><p>"Oh, this is ridiculous." Rhodey said.</p><p>"Now what?" Steve said.</p><p>"He's a grown man, stop treating him like a baby." </p><p>"Rhodey, please stop." Nat said.</p><p>"No, he's a world famed killer and you want me to act cordial around it." Rhodey said. Steve huffed deeply, he hated when people referred Bucky as an it or thing.</p><p>"I sense momma bear energy." Tony mumbled.</p><p>"He's a killer!" Rhodey yelled. That caught everyone's attention. Bucky wasn't exactly sure what the yelling was about but he had his mind on another doughnut. He got up and went to get another, but Rhodey had pushed him away. "You're a monster. You should be killed."</p><p>"Monster?" Bucky whined.</p><p>"Rhodey, stop seriously." Tony said.</p><p>"No, he killed your parents. How do you not hold hatred to him?"</p><p>"I mean we have a love-hate relationship but regarding my parents, it's not his fault."</p><p>"Tell that to other hundreds of people he has killed. You don't deserve to be alive, monster." Bucky flinched at the word, he whined and chewed his wrist.</p><p>"Rhodes, get out." Nat frowned.</p><p>"Or what?"</p><p>"Or I'm going to hit you. And I'm dead serious about this." Steve frowned. </p><p>"You're the one harboring an international criminal. And you think that I should coddle him."</p><p>"Nobody ever said to coddle him, just respect him."</p><p>"I don't respect monsters that kill people." Rhodey pushed Bucky again. Steve swore if he blinked he would have missed the switch. Winter came out in full protection mode. Steve quickly grabbed Winter by the waist, but Winter was literally growling and snarling like a wild wolf. "This is exactly what I was talking about." In the one second that he had a free hand, Steve punched Rhodes.</p><p>"Okay, okay, everyone stop. Steve, do you need help calming him down?" Sam asked. </p><p>Steve shook his head. Mainly because Winter wasn't seeing anybody else but Rhodes and if anybody else got in Winter's way, he was going to hurt them severely.</p><p>"I thought you said you had Winter controlled." Rumlow said.</p><p>"As far as triggers, yes. But he is still the protective system here and he is defending them. Now everyone please be quiet so I can calm him down." Steve said. Everyone nodded. Steve frowned, he needed to redirect his attention so he wasn't so focused on attacking. But Winter was literally twisting and trying to yank himself from Steve's grip.</p><p>Steve pinned Winter on his back. "The moon calls for the white wolf." Winter suddenly became quiet, compliant. He made eye contact with Steve, good he was redirecting his attention. "What does the wolf say to the moon?"</p><p>"The wolf listens only to the moon."</p><p>"Good job, I need you to calm down. Take your deep breaths." Winter took five deep breaths, he was still tense but he wasn't attack mode tense. "Is Bucky and James okay?"</p><p>"James is angry. Bucky is crying."</p><p>"Let Bucky surface, I know he's scared."</p><p>"I will not. Not while he is there." Winter said. Steve frowned then looked at Rhodey who was sporting an ice pack to his cheek.</p><p>"You in the conference room, now." Nat said, pointing to Rhodes.</p><p>"What's going on?" Peter asked.</p><p>"If you really want to know, then come along. It won't be pretty." Nat said then looked at Steve. "Is he calmer now?" Steve looked at Winter who was now crying. Bucky surfaced, confused and terrified. As much as he wanted to comfort him, he needed to deal with Rhodes.</p><p>"Sam?"</p><p>"Come here kid." Steve picked Bucky up and laid him on the couch. Sam sat down on the couch with him and hugged him, Harley was already on Bucky's legs providing extra support. Everyone else went to the conference room, Steve sat away from Rhodey. Nat was standing beside him holding his hand.</p><p>"Rhodey, I know you think you pretty much everything there is about James, Bucky and Winter. But you do not understand anything he went through." Nat said.</p><p>"He's a killer, nothing more than trash." Steve clenched his hand but Nat squeezed his other hand.</p><p>"So someone who is a trained assassin shouldn't get a little redemption?"</p><p>"No."</p><p>"Then I shouldn't be walking free either than?" Rhodey opened his mouth but frowned. "The difference between what I went through and what he went through is the amount of torture and time. He went through seventy years being someone's mindless puppet. But I want you to remember that before they made Winter they had to break James. I'm assuming you think he went over willingly?"</p><p>"Well, no, but.."</p><p>"So if he didn't willingly give his mind and body to Hydra, why is he at fault?"</p><p>"He worked for them."</p><p>"Becoming dependent on them is more like it. Imagine having to kill someone just to avoid the mind wipe chair or imagine having to kill someone to get a scrap of food. I don't think he was given much a choice there."</p><p>"He had a choice."</p><p>"James probably would have if they didn't break his mind for twenty years. Does anyone else have any experience in that field?" Nat smiled. Everyone shook his head.</p><p>"Oh man, let's not get started on how they broke him. What did the files say, Steve? Something about electrocution?"</p><p>"Electrocution, sexual assault, starvation, left out in Russian blizzards, open surgeries on body parts when he's not asleep. Should I go on?" Steve frowned. Scott, Peter and Pietro jaw dropped. Wanda was visibly crying. Thor, Tony, Bruce and Vision looked disturbed and Loki looked more angry than normal. Rumlow could hold his head down in shame.</p><p>"Strucker never told us how they made the soldier. I didn't know." Wanda cried.</p><p>"I will make sure every person working for Hydra not come near the young one. They will pay dearly for harming him." Thor said.</p><p>"Yes, they will. But the damage is done, when they broke James, Winter was made. He did everything they asked perfectly. But occasionally, he misbehaved or as they would put it malfunctioned. They would electrocute his brain again then say his triggers. And you want to know what it's so much worse, when they weren't using him they put him in cryofreeze. So he could have been active in 1967 then next he knows it's 1987." Nat explained.</p><p>"So Rhodes, can you tell me again why you hate an abused, brainwashed person who served in the army and probably would loved to hear some war stories from you?" Steve frowned at him.</p><p>Rhodey opened his mouth but closed it again. Then he asked, "How can you not hate him Tony?"</p><p>"I'll admit when I first realized who the kid was, I was pissed and nearly did kill him. But they showed videos of his torture and made me realize that he was nothing more than a weapon to them. And on that night he was pointed to my parents, he didn't have control of over it and I can't get mad over that. Then I learned the kid loves cars. I remember that day I took him out in my sports car, he smiled like me when I got my suit to work for the first time. He was so happy that day. The only reason I have a love-hate relationship with him is because he's clever and knows how to manipulate people with his eyes."</p><p>"Rhodes, I don't think you hate Bucky, you're scared of Winter. Winter is the protective host in his mind, which is why he reacted the way that he did. But I have control of him."</p><p>"Maybe it is fear."</p><p>"Maybe you should got to know them before you did that. Bucky is more terrified of the world around him than you are of him. I know you think Bucky likes to hurt people, but he's 80% harmless."</p><p>"80%?"</p><p>"Biting is still major thing he has to work on. But he's mostly harmless unless you consider his food aggression. Then maybe 75% harmless." Steve smiled.</p><p>"What is he part dog?" Rhodey asked.</p><p>"You know, considering his bloodhound nose he might be." Tony said.</p><p>"Stark. I need to make sure he's okay." Steve left the room, he went in the main area. Bucky was no longer crying but he was visibly disturbed, humming deeply, rocking and flapping his hands. Sam was playing a game on his phone and Bucky was watching Sam play. "Hey Buck." Bucky looked at him then made grabby hands at him. Steve picked him up and sat on the couch. "You doing okay?" Bucky whined, squeezing his arms around Steve's neck.</p><p>"You need to talk to him. All three of them." Sam said. Steve nodded, he rubbed Bucky's back. Everyone came out of the conference room. Nat rubbed Bucky's arm. Bucky looked at her then he spotted Rhodey standing behind her. He immediately started growling, he could hear Winter growling in his subconscious. </p><p>"He's not going to bother you, sweet boy." Nat said. It probably didn't matter that Rhodey wasn't going to bother him, he had put himself onto the list of people Bucky had aggression to. And as long as he was in his sights, he was going to defend himself.</p><p>"Bucky, stop growling. I know Winter is doing it too, but I need you to stop." Steve said. If anything Bucky was actually getting worse about it. He felt a hand touch his back, he quickly turned, snapping his teeth at whoever was touching him who turned out to be Rumlow.</p><p>"Good job, Rhodey, you've made him turn against us." Tony said.</p><p>"No, he's defending himself because he's terrified. It's nothing against nobody expect Rhodey. Bucky, look at me." Steve turned Bucky's face so he was making eye contact with him. He could see his pupils were shifting a bit, Winter was definitely still in defensive mode. "You're safe. I promise." Bucky finally took a calming breath, he whined and laid his head on Steve's shoulder. "You want to go home?" Bucky quickly nodded. Steve stood up and got his book bag.</p><p>"I'm sorry, kid, do you want another doughnut before you go?" Tony asked. Bucky whined then looked at Steve who nodded. Tony got him a chocolate glazed doughnut. Bucky nibbled on it as they went down to the garage.</p><p>Steve got him secured in his seat. Bucky wasn't himself and that bothered Steve tremendously. </p><p>When they got home, Bucky went to his room and stayed there the majority of the day. After about four hours, Steve went upstairs to check on him. He knocked on the door, surprised to not hear anything.</p><p>"Bucky? Can I come in?" Still no response. Steve opened the door and found Bucky sitting on his bed. He looked depressed. "You okay?"</p><p>"Is it true? That I'm a monster?" James looked at him. His eyes were red, he had been crying.</p><p>"James, no, he doesn't know even a quarter of what you went through. He had no right to say that."</p><p>"But he is, what, one in four million people who probably think the same thing? He's right. I should be dead, I shouldn't be walking freely like I've done nothing wrong."</p><p>"You haven't."</p><p>"Says you. Says Hydra."</p><p>"Hydra said you did nothing wrong because they believed what they were doing was right. I'm saying you've done nothing wrong because the moment they took you everything was against your choice. That is the key word here, choice. It was their choice to kill world leaders, not yours. It was their choice to kill people who would get in their way, not yours. And it was their choice to make you hurt innocent people. Not you."</p><p>"But I let them break me. I let them break my body."</p><p>"James, you went through twenty years of endless torture. That says something."</p><p>"That I'm a coward."</p><p>"That you were stronger than they thought."</p><p>"What are you getting at?"</p><p>"You're so strong to have gone through that. Stop doubting that you weren't. I'm even amazed to see how much you gone through and still be able to smile at me."</p><p>"It's hard, there is just so much pain."</p><p>"I know and we're going to continue to work through the pain. Talking about it and going to therapy is all we can do for right now. But I don't want you to believe that any of this is your fault. Do you blame Winter or Bucky for any of it?"</p><p>"Not Bucky, he's a product of what that monster created. Someone he needed to fulfill his other needs. Winter? I can't hate him, but I don't have the same relationship I do with Bucky. Winter is my protector in here. He took on everything I couldn't. I owe him that much, but when I look at him, his eyes are lifeless and that scares me because he is me."</p><p>"And you used to be so full of life."</p><p>"Yeah. I do appreciate what he did today, nearly attacking Rhodey. I almost came out but when I looked at how terrified Bucky was, I just couldn't."</p><p>"You guys look out for each other. That's good. And I am proud of Winter for listening to me when I asked him to stop."</p><p>"You are his handler, so that much hasn't changed. I never expected him to act so feral though."</p><p>"Well, Winter does respond to situation around him. You act aggressive to him, he acts aggressive towards you. But all that matters is that you three are okay and understand that you are not a monster, a killer and you deserve to be on this Earth just as much as me."</p><p>"Because Captain America doesn't have any haters."</p><p>"No, because without James Barnes, Captain America wouldn't even exist."</p><p>"Fair enough. But that doesn't change the fact that people want me dead."</p><p>"It can't but I think it will make a difference if I tell you that all the Avengers love you. Expect Fury and Hill and possibly Sharon but whatever. I think you should focus on love instead of the hate. The people that love you will make your life easier, trust me when I say that. Don't I make your life a little easier?"</p><p>"Sometimes."</p><p>"I'll accept that. But you get what I'm saying right?" James nodded. "Put everything he said behind you. He hasn't experienced what you went through, so he has no right to say anything. Okay?"</p><p>"Okay. Thanks."</p><p>"You're very welcome. Also-" Steve kissed his cheek. "You had chocolate frosting on your cheek." James smiled. He hugged Steve. Steve gladly hugged him tightly, he meant every word he said to him. And he would make sure everyone knew that.</p><p>"Thank you for punching him."</p><p>"And I would do it again and again and again." Steve sort of tackled him down on the bed. James laughed then flinched and hit his head.</p><p>"Daddy silly." Bucky laughed.</p><p>"Hey sweetheart, you doing okay?"</p><p>"Yep. Meanie."</p><p>"He was a meanie but he's not going to hurt you anymore. I promise. Huggies?" Steve opened his arms. Bucky hugged him. Then Steve booped his nose. "Hungry?"</p><p>"Yeah."</p><p>"Let's go eat." Steve picked him up and went downstairs to eat. Sam texted to him to ask if everything was okay with Bucky. Steve replied yes but he wants Rhodey to stay away from Bucky. Mainly because Winter actually might kill him once he gets the chance. There was also James but he wouldn't kill anyone more of just arguing. And poor Bucky, he would probably bite him then cower away but only because he knew momma bear Steve would take care of his fears. And that's exactly what he did today.</p><p>Did he feel bad about punching Rhodey? No. He deserved it. Did he need to learn to control his momma bear side better? Yes, a bit.</p><p>But until Steve felt that nobody had a target on Bucky, he will forever be protecting him. Even from members of the Avengers.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>My request box is open, I am having a hard time thinking of ideas because of college and also a bit of writer's block. I have two already in progress.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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